The motor skills and muscular development period in the lives of infants is inevitably crucial to their conditioning and musculature growth. This period of growth is considered to be a difficult and potentially hazardous time for infants. The need to properly strengthen muscles and coordinate muscle movement can be assisted with appropriate development and strengthening tools. Current and available mechanisms, however, do not provide leg strengthening configurations adapted to permit infants to kick and push against a resilient structure to develop motor skills and strengthen their lower extremities.
Additionally, pediatricians recommend that infants receive “tummy time” beginning at two months of age. Tummy time refers to placing infants in a prone position on their stomachs. When placed in a prone position, infants develop upper body muscular strength, coordination, and head control. Furthermore, tummy time promotes development of physical skills required for rolling over, sitting, and crawling. Moreover, the prone position aids in minimizing recent concerns of positional plagiocephaly, which is the development of flat surfaces on the head of an infant caused by infants sleeping so many hours on the back of their heads.
Also, while attempting to develop motor skills and muscle strength in their lower extremities, infants will kick and push with their legs as they become older. During this development, parents may place infants on a chair, couch, or other soft surface to stand and develop muscle strength so that when the infant loses his balance and falls there will be a soft landing waiting. This, however, requires constant attention by the parent to ensure the infant does not fall off the couch or chair.
Current infant support pads with dual cushions on opposite ends are merely for maintaining the infant in a stationary position while sleeping or riding in a vehicle. Also, restraining devices are available for maintaining an infant in a stationary position to prevent the infant from rolling, but none function to build motor skills and musculature in an infant. Other structures available simply accommodate resting adults by providing adaptable cushioning for the legs and head to conform to at rest. Moreover, no apparatus is available that permits an infant to develop leg muscles and lower extremities safely while in either a prone or supine position and wherein the apparatus is adjustable to accommodate infant growth.